Review: SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at Wave Theatre

A song cycle is a demanding thing to pull off: no plot, no central characters and, in the case of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For a New World, a score that veers from pop to gospel to jazz. Since it therefore lives or dies in the strength of its performers, it is particularly well chosen for BBATA’s 10th anniversary production. Byron Groenewald-Bure directs his thirteen singers to tell a selection of stories that orbit the concept of that one pivotal moment where the world changes.

The set is an unassuming construct of levels and the costumes are generic but not uniform, highlighting the idea that every song, every character, every story is individual but related. The performers likewise admirably embrace this concept. All of their voices are cleverly suited to their songs and their vocal performances are impressive without feeling gimmicky or reaction baiting. Not to imply the audience didn’t react – we did! – but every cheer, whoop and round of applause was genuine and warm rather than obligatory.

I’m a sucker for a quirky character song, particularly a comedic one, so there were a few standout performances for me (note: I saw a Moon cast performance; the Stars cast is the same performers but the various roles are assigned differently). Catharine Hill’s Just One Step was spellbinding, evoking Bette Midler at her most tragicomic. Kristina Burge owned the stage with her character as she contemplated Stars and the Moon, while Josie Piers gave a very funny rendition (reindeer-tion?) of Surabaya-Santa in a cute fur-trimmed costume. In Steam Train, Jodi Mummery and the female ensemble delivered a polished dance number that certainly fulfilled the promise of the song: you don’t know me, but you will!

Throughout, the choreography around the simple set and the physical theatre elements worked well to support the solid vocal performances. If you're a fan of musical theatre or even just story told through song, you'll want to make sure you catch the Wave with Songs For a New World, on until 10 May:

Wednesday, 6 May – 19h30 (Stars Cast)
Thursday, 7 May – 19h30 (Moon Cast)
Friday, 8 May – 19h30 (Stars Cast)
Saturday, 9 May – 14h30 (Moon Cast)
Saturday, 9 May – 19h30 (Stars Cast)
Sunday, 10 May – 14h30 (Stars Cast)